Bark Up The Season With Gifts From Mongrel

Mongrel -a store located at the heart of Carytown- lives by the slogan, “Cool Stuff for All Breeds of Humans.” Living up to the slogan, there’s a large array of home accessories, book and journals, entertainment, pet décor and cards or stationary for every customer.

One hot selling item that owner Stan McCulloch carries is the “Munchstaches” cookie cutter kits. Customers can purchase the kit, which comes with a stamper and a cutter, and make their own edible mustaches.

“I know it sounds weird,” McCulloch said. “But mustaches are really hot right now. Mustaches and beards. They pervade the atmosphere. So we’ve got the Munchstaches, mustache erasers. I think we even have some mustaches band aids.”

Another popular item that Mongrel offers is the Buddha Board, both in small and large sizes. The board allows users to dip a brush into a bowl of water and paint or practice calligraphy on a board. There is no mess or clean up because the water evaporates on the paper so the board can be used over and over again.

For the artistic bakers, Ginger Dead Men kits just came in! It’s the classic gingerbread men with a Halloween twist. Customers can make gingerbread men and use a stamper to make bones in the gingerbread men, then filling bone impressions with white icing. Violá! Ginger Dead Men have been created.

At the front of the store, a holiday season display is set up. The table is adorned with candles, room incenses, stationary and pillows that look like tree logs.

“This line of candles is super popular,” McCulloch said. “The Frasier fir, I mean it really does smell like a Christmas tree. We’ve got it in candles, hand lotion, bath soap and other stocking stuffers.”

Other items that are popular for the holiday season include Mighty Wallets, wine cork trivet, whiskey rocks, hilarious post-it notes and stationary and Edward Gorey merchandise.

Mongrels is located at 2924 W. Cary Street, Richmond. The phone number is 804-342-1272. To check out the website, visit Mongrels here.